Spotlight

Living the techy way

Hotels and restaurants have managed to intersperse technology to provide the best facilities to their guests. Preeti Kannan examines what would be the future IT trends in the hospitality industry that will take the industry forward with regards to quality and competence

It was in the year 1907 that technology was first introduced in the hotel industry, when in-room telephone system were installed. Then came the in-room radios in 1927, followed by electric elevators in 1950. Tremendous marketing potential was seen when the Central Reservation System (CRS) came into place in 1964. While the front office was computerised for the first time in 1965, the year 1980 saw property management systems being introduced in hotels. In-room computers first touched hotels worldwide in 1983 and of course Internet in 1990. The hotel industry has never looked back since then.

The technological changes in the Indian hospitality industry have completely altered the way a hotel functions. Through innovative software, hotels have reinvented themselves to provide smart services from the point guest enters the property, to the time the guest checks out. Not only has technology increased guest comfort, but has also brought about a revolution for service providers, cutting down on their labour costs. Today, a guest can browse Internet and get a glimpse of the hotel rooms' facilities with the help of virtual rooms, which the hotels have managed to create.

Indian hotels have come a long way, but experts foresee that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Information technology will continue to drive business, target niche segments, create transparency across multiple channels, facilitate seamless exchange of operational information within the hotel and disseminate information to guests about promotional offers. In fact, Suresh R Madhok, president and CEO, Hospitality Solutions International, believes that Indian hotels are far ahead in technology and designs than their counterparts across the world. "The coming of IT has changed the concept of hotel business for us by bringing in an e-revolution. The mantra is now western efficiency and eastern hospitality," he avers.

Technology will add value to the hotel industry in three different ways mainly - customer relation management, broadening marketing gateways and evolve software that will enhance property management and enable staff to keep a better tab on their room status. Here are few IT trends we believe will cause ripples in the hospitality industry and propel it further:

• It would not be long before kiosks replace reception desks and staff. All a guest has to do is swipe the credit card and furnish it with their requirements. Based on the information provided, it would print a welcome note and give a key card, after debiting the customer. Guests can go to the room directly, without the hassles of waiting for the reception desk to attend to his needs.
• An interactive television in guestrooms is a feature yet to touch Indian hotels, says S M Edward, MD of Winsar InfoSoft. He points out that the TV in the room would be interactive and will have an inbuilt menu card that will be connected to a computer. Instead of picking up the phone and waiting for the restaurant to take his food order, the guest can switch on his TV and choose his dishes from the menu. The computer will immediately print the Kitchen Order Ticket (KOT) in the kitchen. "This helps the hotel respond to the order much faster, eliminating manual intervention and wrong orders," Edward says.
• To attend to a customer's complaints and requests immediately, a Complaint Management System would guarantee swift and efficient service. There would be a list of numbers the guest can call depending on the nature of his requirements and just leave a message on the dialled number. The system will make note of his needs and immediately send a SMS alert to the nearest supervisor. If he does not respond, it will send the message with all the details to the highest authority to resolve the issue. The software monitors the complaint and resolves it as quickly as possible.
• Loyalty programmes have usually existed in the premium segment. The future will see them being adopted by four-star and budget hotels throughout their chain. The software will recognise repeat guests across all chains and offer discounts and good service. Customer Relation Management will magnify even micro details, where customer value will focus on lifetime value and will be more niche and personalised.
• Cross-selling of loyalty programmes will also catch up in restaurants and hotels, where the guest could hold a card of one hotel or restaurant and live or dine in another and avail discounts. Small hotels and restaurants will start focusing on building a database on customer preferences ranging from the choice of their food to wine and even desserts. This will ensure brand loyalty in the long run, driving the revenue of the hotel and restaurant.
• Today, travel portals like travelguru.com sell inventories for hotels online but hotels might prefer to sell their rooms directly to customers and design their website more attractively, thereby encouraging people to book directly. Though, the Indian psyche still has apprehensions of using credit cards on the Internet, especially for hotel reservations, time will change this perception. With aggressive online advertising and cross-promos with airlines and tourism boards, hotels might be able to woo the Indian customer into direct booking. Probably attractive incentives and packages with their spas and restaurants might do the trick.
• Hotels are even working on instant feedback from their guests. Like Vikram Cotah, GM of Radisson GRT Hotel, is contemplating setting up kiosks with touch screens in lobbies, where guests can feed in their comments. "Suppose the guest likes a particular dish, they can punch in their feedback, which is connected to the kitchen and other departments. The chef gets to know immediately and the GM also gets a copy. This way our staff gets instant recognition for the work they do," he says.
• Hotels will look at a one-point contact for guests like a hotline, where the guest has to just dial one number or pick up the phone, irrespective of the service required, the in-house call centres will guide the guest and render efficient services.
• Mobile technology will be further exploited to its fullest where hotel staff can get instant alerts, when a guest walks in or checks out. Suppose it is a VIP, the GM would get an immediate alert on the mobile phone and can go receive the guest. Similarly, when the guest is checking out, the lobby manager and the F&B department will be notified immediately.
• Information Technology will be rendered obsolete if it can provide real time access to revenue and profitability figures, besides Average Room Revenue (ARR) and occupancy rates across all the properties of the brand. This will help the group plan its expansions and investments on their different properties.

Technology might provide efficiency and improve customer hotel interface, while supplementing the marketing of the hotel or restaurant. But it can never be a substitute for personalised services rendered by hotels. The combination of eastern hospitality and western efficiency is what makes Indian hotels stand apart and this should remain the strength of our industry.